I guess i just don't understand this concept.
To me, the prologue and the epilogue ARE part of the book and the story. How WELL different authors use it may be up for debate, but not the fact that they ARE intended to be read.
like for me, when i think prologue, i think 1 of 2 things.
Some authors may use that prologue like a refresher course if the book is part of a series. which seems like a weird choice, except i have absolutely USED those when i accidentally picked up a book series out of order (not all books are actually NUMBERED btw, and these were the days before you could google it. I've done this THREE TIMES that I recall. Please insert that meme about "if i had a nickel..."
Most often I find that a prologue is the setup for the book - think like the cold open of a show just before the intro credits. Sometimes it's a different POV, or they may be written in a way that gives it a different tone, but usually delivers some good, basic information.
as for Epilogues - it's bonus content, why would you skip it?
It's where i see a lot of people do wrap ups. so if you skip the wrap up... your story hasn't ended. The wrap up could be immediate or the 6 months/10 years down the road variety, doesn't matter. I could also see people using it as way to add bits to the story that didn't fit in with the style of the book but was too good to leave out. or maybe a mini story about an event or other characters from the book. either way, it's the cherry on top. a finishing touch.
Honestly, I feel like having the flexibility of using a prologue or an epilogue gives the author more room to play, to maybe try doing something that wouldn't make sense for the ENTIRE book, but could be fun.
i know for a fic series i'm working on, i have the intent that once i finish the last main fic, the epilogue will be the same pov as the prologue from the first fic. Because i thought it would be nice to A) frame the stories that way and B) get an outsider POV on what's otherwise going on. (the entire rest of the fic series sticks only to the POV of the 2 main characters, so the Prologue & Epilogue are a 3rd POV) and the idea that people will refuse to read them *on principle* without knowing whether they do or don't add anything of value to the story just rubs me wrong.
because let's face it, whether or not a Prologue and/or Epilogue work for a story depends on the story, the specific author, what they're trying to do and whether you enjoy their writing to begin with, not the fact that the prologue and epilogue exists as a writing convention. it's like saying titles aren't necessary because some authors are terrible at coming up with good ones.
I, for one, won't give up on prologues and epilogues if i feel it fits in my story for whatever reason. I don't use them in all my stories, just the ones that feel right.
tangentwithtanner
dailybridgerton
areudirty
snowghoul
